507th Kiplingcotes Derby: World’s Oldest Horse Race Takes Place This Thursday

With the Cheltenham Festival having taken place last week, attention in the horse racing world now turns to a much older and more unusual contest taking place this Thursday — the 507th running of the Kiplingcotes Derby.

Course and weather conditions permitting, runners and riders will gather on Racecourse Road near Londesborough Wold Farm, around 12 miles from Driffield, for England’s oldest annual horse race.

The first edition of the race took place when Henry VIII was on the throne, yet it continues to attract strong interest today. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the finish line last year to watch Sophie Faulkener-Smith ride Sunny to victory.

Another large crowd is expected again this year for the historic race, which runs from Enthorpe to Londesborough Wold and remains steeped in tradition.

One of the race’s long-standing rules states that if the Derby does not take place in any given year, it should never be staged again. Because of this unusual rule, organisers go to great lengths to ensure it happens.

Recent weeks of wet weather mean the four-mile course may not be in the best condition, and the going could be heavy on race day.

The race was previously cancelled in 2018 due to a waterlogged course and again during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. On each of those occasions, a single horse walked the course to preserve the race’s historic continuity.

To enter the Kiplingcotes Derby, all jockeys must arrive at the course before 11am on the day of the race.

Horses are led out to the start line between 12 noon and 1pm and must complete the course by 2pm. Riders must weigh 10 stone, and the first horse past the post earns £50 for its jockey.

However, one of the race’s quirks means second place receives the remainder of the entry fees — which is often more than the winner’s prize.

Another unusual feature of the Kiplingcotes Derby is that spectators cannot see both the start and finish of the race, meaning most of the crowd gathers near the winning line to watch the runners come home.

The finishing post stands on a grass verge in open countryside around 400 yards from the A614, between Middleton on the Wolds and Market Weighton in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Spectators are asked to park in the designated car park at Londesborough Wold Farm rather than on grass verges or sections of the course.

Disabled facilities are not available at the course; however, food vendors and a bookmaker will be present.